Starter-control for explosive-engines.



H. A. MYERS.

STARTER CONTROL FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1914.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.-

H. A. MYERS.

STARTER CONTROL FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15,1914.

1,132,602. 7 Patented Mar.23,1915.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

9 AR R BATTLRY.

WITNESSESI- INVENTOQ.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT A; MYERS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR S.HICKOK,

' OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

STARTER-CONTROL .FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGIN ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 15, 1914. Serial No. 838,671.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUBERT A. M'YnRs, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county ofLucas and State such as used in automobiles, but is not restricted tosuch use, as it may be employed in any connection for which it may beadapted or appropriate.

The primary object of my invention is the provision, in connection withthe control switches of electric starters for engines of the characterdescribed, of simple and efiicient means which is automatically operableto switch the ignition circuit from the battery to the magneto when theengine has been started and the starter circuit is broken, thuspreventing the liability of running on the battery for a considerabletime and the consequent loss of the battery charge.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description thereof.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, andwhile, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,- I

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a starter switch embodying myinvention.

-Figs. 2 and 3 are sections thereof on the lines 00, 00 and y, y,respectively, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the inventionwith a wiringdiagram illustrated in connection therewith.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a switch case of cylindricalform, in the present instance, which is carried by a supporting member2, which may comprise the portion of the floor in at vance of thedriversseat of an automobile, or be any other suitable supporting partfor the switch. The end of the case 1, which is attached to'the support2, is provided, in the present instance, with an outwardly flangedopening, the flange 3 of which projects into a registering opening 4 inthe support and forms a bearing for the control plunger 5, which carriesthe movable member 6 of the starter-switch, said plunger projectingthrough the support and having its outer end disposed in position to bedepressed or forced inward by the operator. The movablestarter-switch-member 6 is insulatingly carried by the plunger 5 and, inthe present instance, is of cylindrical knife edge form and adapted,when depressed, to fit into and connect the insulatingly fixedstarter-switch circuit members 7 and 7 The members 7, 7 are carried, inthe present instance, by a block 8 of insulating material, which ismounted within the case 1 and carries binding posts 9 and 9 withoutopposite sides of the case, said binding posts being electri callyconnected to the respective members 7, 7 A coiled compression spring 5is interposed between the block 8 and the inner end of the plunger 5 andserves to yieldingly retain the fixed and movable starter switch membersin spaced relation. Nothing novel is claimed for this feature of theswitch, as it is a form of switch commonly used in connection withelectric starters for internal combustion engines.

Carried by the block 8 at its under side, or the side thereof which isopposed to the switch members '7, 7, are the spacedcontacts 10 and 10which connect respectively with binding posts 11 and 11, the outer endsof which project Without the case 1. Similar contacts 12 and 12 areinsulatingly carried within the bottom portion of the case 1, as by aninsulating block 13, and have binding postslei, 14, respectively,projecting therefrom without the case. In the present arrangement of mycontrol mechanism the contacts 10 and 10 are in circuit with thecustomary magneto, and the contacts 12 and 12 are in circuit with thestarting battery.

A stem 15 projects axially through the plunger 5 and the insulatingblocks 8 and 13, and has its lower end projected through an axialextension 16 provided on the lower or outer end of the case 1. The stem15 is mounted for limited rcciprocatory movements in such parts and isprovided at its Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

upper or control end with a head or enlargement 15 for coacting with theouter end of the plunger 5 to limit the depressing movements of the stemrelative to said plunger. A movable switch member 17 is fixedly andinsulatingly carried by the stem 15 in the space between the insulatingblocks 8 and 13 and is movable into contact with the set of contacts 10,10 to close the electrical connection therebetween, or with the set ofcontacts 12, 12 to close the electrical connection therebetween, as thestem 15 may be moved into proper position therefor. A coiled compressionspring 18 encircles the stem 15 with its opposite ends thrust againstthe lower end of the case 1 and the insulationv carrying the switchmember 17, and serves to normally urge the stem upward and the switchmember 17 into engagement With the contacts 10 and 10*, as shown in Fig.1, whereby to close the magneto circuit. When the plate 5 and stem 15have been depressed the full limit of their inward movements-the starterswitch member 6 will stand in contact with the members 7, 7 thus closingthe starter circuit, and the switch member 17 will stand in contact Withthe contacts 12, 12, thus closing the battery circuit. The permissibledepressing movement of the stem 15 relative to the starter switchplunger 5 is suflicient to move the switch member 17 out of contact withthe magneto circuit contacts 10, 10 and into neutral position relativeto such contacts and to the contacts 12, 12 of the battery circuit. Inorder to retain the stem 15 and its switch member 17 in such neutralposition against the tension of the spring 18 a catch 19 is provided onone side of the lower end portion of the stem within the extension part16 of the case and engages with a spring finger or pin 20, which ismounted in registering relation in the wall of the extension part 16 foryielding movements transversely of the stem. The pin 20 is carried. inthe present instance, by a spring finger 21, which normally holds thepin in position transversely of the stem to engage over the shoulderedportion of the catch 19 when such catch is lowered in proper positiontherefor. The catch 19 has a tapered nose portion 19, which, upon alowering of the stem from its elevated or normal position, engages the,pin 20 and causes a transverse swinging thereof from normal position,the pin springing back to normal position over the shouldered portion ofthe catch when the catch has been lowered sufiiciently therefor. Thecatch 19 is also provided with an upstanding diagonally-disposed orinclined tail-piece 19*, which, upona continued lowering or depressingof the stem 15 from neutral position, acts on and forces the pin 20 fromits normal position'transversely of the stem, so that when the stem haslowered sufficiently to place the upper end of the tail-piece 19 belowthe pin 20, the. pin will move over such end to normal position on theopposite side thereof. Upon the next upward movement of the stem the pin20 slides freely down the side of the catch member to its normal.position below such member, as indicated in Fig. 3. The tail-piece 19 ofthe catch member is of such length that it will permit the pin 20 topass over its upper end when the stem has been lowered or depressedsufliciently to make contact between the switch member 17 and thecontacts 12, 12*. It is thus evident that in order to permit the switchmember 17 to move into contact with the magneto contacts 10, 10 aftersuch switch memberv has been lowered to neutral position, it isnecessary to completely depress the stem 15 so as to dispose the pin 20on the opposite the catch shoulder, as the stem is then free to returnto its normal elevated position.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 4, 25 designates the starting battery, 26the magneto, 27 the customary switch having sets of battery and magnetocontacts and the movable member 27 for bridging the contacts of therespective sets, as desired, 28 the customary exciting coil, 29 anexplosive engine having a spark plug 29, 30 the electric starting motor,and 31 the timing device. It will be noted that the battery circuit maybe closed with the ignition device of the engine either through thecustomary control switch 27 or through the starter control batterycontacts 12, 12, as the control switch battery contacts and the starterdevice battery contacts are 'each in series with the battery through theshown. It will, of course, be understood that the wiring diagram shownin merely illustrative of one form of such wiring and that it may bechanged, as desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the operation of my improved device, the operator, to start theengine, depresses both the plunger 5 and stem 15 to their full extent soas to place the switch member 6 into contact with the battery circuitstarting contacts 7, 7 to close such circuit and to place the switchmember 17 into contact with the battery ignition circuit contacts 12, 12to close such circuit. When this is done both 85 side of the catchmember from that havlng the ignition and starting circuits are energizedfrom the battery and if everything 1s in proper working condition theengme Wlll be started. When the engine has been started in this mannerthe operator releases the plunger 5 and stem 15 to permit the same toreturn to their normal positions, the switch member Greturning to itsnormal open position and the switch member 17 moving into contact withthe magneto ignition circuit contacts 10, 10 to maintain a running ofthe engine. If it is desired to place the switch member 17 in neutralposition relative to the two setsof contacts 10, 10 and 12, 12 the stem15 is depressed until the pin 20 has moved into catch engagement withthe catch shoulder of the catch member 19. To return the switch memberinto magneto circuit closing position it is necessary to completelydepress the stem 15 and then to release it to permit the catch member 19to have its upward movement at the opposite side of the pin 20 to itslowering movement.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of the parts as it is capable ofnumerous modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In combination," a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, and single mechanism operable to simultaneously close thestarter and battery circuits and to open such circuits and close themagneto circuits.

2. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, and mechanism manually operable to simultaneously close saidstarter and battery circuits and automatically operable to open saidstarter and battery circuits and to close the magneto circuit whenreleased for such purpose.

3. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, mechanism operable to simultaneously close the starter andbattery circuits, and means operating to normally move said mechanismfrom starter and battery circuit closing position and into magnetocircuit closing position.

4. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, independent means, one movable to open and. close the startercircuit and one movable to open and close either the battery or magnetocircuits, and means automatically operable to move one of said meansfrom battery circuit to magneto circuit closing position when the othermeans is permitted to move from starter circuit closing position.

5. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, independent means, one operable to close the starter circuitand the other operable to open and close either the battery circuit orthe magneto circuit, and means manually perable to simultaneously moveone of said means to starter circuit closing position and the other ofsaid means to battery circuit closing position and then automatlcallyoperable to break the starter and battery circuits and to close themagneto circu1t.

6. In combination, a starter circu t, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, a switch member manually movable in one direction to close thestarter circuit and automatically movable in the opposite direction tobreak such circuit, and a second switch member manually movable to breakthe magneto circuit and close the battery circuit and automaticallyoperable to break-J the battery circuit and to-c'lose the magnetocircuit, the battery circuit closing movements of said second memberbeing dependent on starter circuit closing movements of said firstswitch member.

7. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, two plunger parts which are yieldingly movable in onedirection, a switch member carried by one of said parts and movable fromnormal position into starter circuit closing position, and a secondswitch member carried by the other of said parts and normally standingin magneto circuit closing position and movable from such position intobattery circuit closing position.

8. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit each having a set of spaced contacts, a plunger having a movableswitch member for closing the connection between the contacts of thestarter circuit, means yieldingly retaining the plunger and its switchmember out of circuit closing position, a second plunger having a switchmember movable into positions to close the connection between thecontacts of either said battery or magneto circuits, and means urging amovement of said plunger and its switch member into magneto circuitclosing position, the movement from normal posltion of one of saidplungers bein dependent on the movement from normaI position of theother of said plungers.

9. In combination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit and a magnetocircuit, mechanism manually operable. to simultaneously close thestarter and battery circuits and then automatically operable to breakboth of said circuits and to close the magneto circuit, and means forretaining said mecha- 'nism in neutral position relative to the batteryand magneto circuits.

10. In combination, a starter circuit, a

battery circuit and a magneto circuit, a

ingly movable in one direction to break the magneto circuit and closethe battery circuit, and means operable to retain said second switchmember out of magneto circuit closing position until after said secondswitch member has been moved to battery circuit closing position. 11. Incombination, a starter circuit, a battery circuit, and a magnetocircuit, a switch operable to close the starter and battery circuits andto open the magneto circuit, and means for retaining said mechanism in aneutral position relative to the battery and magneto circuits.

12. In combination, a starter circuit, a

battery circuit, and a magneto circuit, a

switch operable to close the starter and battery circuits and to openthe magneto circuit, and means for retaining said mechanism in a neutralposition relative to the 20 signed my name to this specification in the25 presence of two subscribing witnesses. HUBERT A. MYERS.

Witnesses:

F. E. Ann, E. E. THOMAS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. p

